The News-Herald. [volume] (Hillsboro, Highland Co., Ohio) 1886-1973, 1887-12-08

for Animals-Ele Disgusts the Indians In
Fifteen Days eiege-His Death.
tcepvrsoAssd iSs7l
Early in the '70s an eccentric character,
known only as skunk" johnson, made the
greater portion of Southwestern Kansas his
ground. Unaccompanied by rela-
tives, partners or intimates, he drifted here
and there, as his whims or the supply of game
dictated. Little was known of him except
that his dialect indicated that he was . ma
tive of Hoosierdom.
The time of his arrival in the region in
which he earned his rather unsavory nick
name cannot be determined. He turned
up" either in 1862 10 or ~, and that is all
that can be learned of his coming. Num-
bered among his several peculiarities was his
desire and ability to make psts Of skunks,
his aversion for water externally applied
and his frugality in the matter of raiment,
which he persisted in wearing without
change till accident or time removed 1t for
him. Although scarcely beyond middle age,
his head was phenomenally bald. This,
coupled with the fact that the major
portion of his face was covered with
short, matted beard like q piece
of buffalo robe, gave his head some
what the appearance of being inverted
Though good-natured and civil, he abhorred
human companionship, and would go to
almost any length to avoid it. So great was
his aversion for women, that at one time he
ceased to trap anywhere along the entire
length of Soldier creek, because In cabin
on one of its branches lived . woman who
stared curiously at him the only time he
passed that way.
Although he hunted and trapped all varie-
ties of game that came in his way, skunks
were his favorite victims. He shot and
trapped surprising number Of these odor-
ferrous animals, and shipped their hides to
st. Louis, where a certain dealer in furs paid
him considerable sums for consignments of
these pelts. Every now and then he kept
alive what he considered the handsomest and
most sprightly of lot of skunks and made
pet Of it.
As his accumulation of pets grew larger,
he finally decided, that, of all the country
over which he had ranged, the then just
organized county of Pratt was most adapted
to his needs. So, in the high bluff, near the
head of Ninnescah creek, he excavated an
artificial cave and took up his abode therein.
The entrance, hole in the bluff, only
trifle larger than was necessary to admit a
mans body, led into two well-fnished rooms.
dug out of the solid clay. One was his sleep
ing apartment and the other his kitchen,
workshop &C. The two were divided by a
wall of clay, two feet thick, and were con-
nected by hole four feet high.
johnson exhibited considerable skill as
clay carver, and expended much time in
decorating the clay walls of his habitation.
At one side was a fireplace, both handsome
and practical, and above it was carved
mantelpiece. A bench-like shelf had hol-
low for the reception of his water-bucket,
and there was a neat candlestick, carved
from a projection in the wall. A niche cut
in the wall served as bookcase, and in it
reposed volume or two that johnson had
picked up somewhere, but which he seldom
or never perused. There were inches and
shelves for the reception of other articles,
and at one side of the combined kitchen and
work-room was q large hole carved out of
the wall and barred by sticks of native lead,
which he had obtained at the undeveloped
mines, further south, melted and beaten into
bars. Here were Gagged his pets when they
became too troublesome under foot.
The cave was ventilated by a spiral Chin
ney which led from the fireplace to the top
of the bluff. This same spiral chimney af-
terwsrd proved its owners salvation. Settlers
at that time we're not numerous in the
county, and Johnson was not troubled by
many visitors. Those who did come seldom
nI -, k1o win spsk Rain
Johnson's taciturnity and certain pecu-
liarity Of the skunks the visitor generally
came to the speedy conclusion that his pres
ence was not wholly welcome, and proceeded
to seek more genial locality.
Some distance down the creek. johnson
established what he called his bone-yard.
Here he piled the carcasses of the animals he
killed. In course of time, the accumulation
of bones, large and small. amounted to sew
eral wagon loads. Some time after Johnson's 3
departure from the region, these bones were
all gathered up by an enterprising bone
hunter and shipped East, and have long
since done their duty as fertilizers.
In the fall of 1874. band of Indians went
on q raid through the county. Much blood
shed would undoubtedly have followed had
not the savages devoted 30 much time and
attehtion to skunk" johnson that they
selves and prepare to resist the attack Of the
red ..ien.
Several miles from his cave Johnson discov-
cred number OF Indians breaking upa large
cage trap that he had set for timber wolves.
He promptly shot one of the trap breakers
and Hed, followed by the rest of the band,